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This issue we turn to Leeds' own Italian masters, the Dammone family. Through their Headingley restaurant, they’ve been consistently providing the people of Leeds with quality fare for thirty years now. Here, John Dammone shares a recipe that’s proven to be a real favourite with their regulars.
“Classic penne arrabiata, bursting with flavours, is affordable southern Italian peasant food at its simplest and best. This is a nice simple recipe for you to try out at home. Please feel free to add your own touches to this basic recipe — a few additions are suggested at the end.”
2-3 cloves garlic
Olive oil
Tin of Italian peeled tomatoes (roughly
blitzed in the liquidiser/food processor)
4 basil leaves
1 or 2 fresh chillies
Salt
Parmesan, grated
1 packet penne pasta
Big pan of salted water
(Preparation time 10 minutes, cooking
time 15 minutes)
Slice and chop garlic finely and put in a sauté pan with a generous glug of olive oil. Put on the lowest light possible on the cooker while you slice one or two of your favourite chillies. Don’t put all the chilli seeds in if they are particularly hot chillies. The garlic should have started bubbling by now after four or five minutes so bung in the and chillies start to gently fry.
Keep the pan moving and before the garlic begins to brown throw in the
chopped parsley — this will turn bright
green as it fries. Take it away from the
heat after a few seconds and put the
tomatoes and basil in. Put back on a
higher heat and simmer and reduce
while you throw the pasta in a pan of
salted water on a rolling boil. Stir the
pasta a few times until it comes to the
boil in a minute or so then stir every
few minutes until it is cooked. Season
the sauce with a pinch of salt and a tiny pinch of sugar to bring out all the natural sweetness of the tomatoes.
This is a fresh sauce so 10 minutes
gentle simmering while the pasta is
cooking is plenty. The pasta should be
cooked to the ‘al dente’ stage. To
check: if they are al dente, spoon out
six or seven pieces of pasta into a dish
and stir in a teaspoon of the sauce and
a sprinkle of parmesan onto them. If
quickly and then toss them into the
sauce. Serve with the freshly grated
parmesan.
Our recipe for penne arrabiata is a basic one, feel free to add spicy salame,roast sliced peppers or anything you wish to sauté along with the chillies.
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